In The Name of Allah,

The Compassionate, The Merciful.

Praise be to Allah, Lord of The Universe,

And Peace and Prayers be upon

His Prophet and Messenger.

The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils Inc. (AFIC) is a a non-profit Islamic organization dedicated to promote Halal food and the institution of Halal in Australia.

AFIC is headquartered in Sydney, New South Wales and maintains offices in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. AFIC certified products are sold in nearly every country of the world.

AFIC certifies products in all food industries, cosmetics, meat & poultry slaughter, further processing & value added products, packaging materials and chemicals.

The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils is the only organization in Australia which is represented in all the states of Australia.

The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils is the only organization in Australia which provide trained and competent Halal personnel be it a Halal slaughterman, Halal checker or Halal supervisor. These Halal personnel are trained to communicate.

With the establishment of high standards and consumer confidence in AFIC certified Halal products, business organizations gain access to the vast marketing potential of Halal consumers on a global scale.  AFIC recognition provides export opportunities to the global Halal market which is estimated to be in the vicinity of US$2.1 trillion dollars annually comprising of approximately 1.6 billion  Halal consumers worldwide.

AFIC is the only single Islamic Halal Certifier that operates Nationally (all the States and Territories of Australia) for Halal Certification and endorsed by the following religious, government organizations and countries to certify Halal meat from anywhere in Australia:

1. The Muslim World League, responsible for Halal meat for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

2. Appointed by the Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (J.A.K.I.M) to certify Halal foods from Australia.

3. United Arab Emirates, General Secretariat of Municipalities (G.S.M).

4. Lembaga Pengkajian Pangan, Obat-obatan, dan Kosmetika Majelis Ulama Indonesia (L.P.P.O.M.- M.U.I).

5. Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (M.U.I.S).

6. The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (F.I.A.N.Z).

7. The Fiji Muslim League (F.M.L).

8. The Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (I.F.A.N.C.A).

9. International Halal Industry Alliance (I.H.I).

10. World Halal Council (W.H.C).

11. Islamic Committee Office of Thailand (I.C.O.T).

12. Majelis Ulama Indonesia (M.U.I).

13. Including all the minor countries.

14. Accepted by all Muslim countries and Halal importing regions as a reputable Halal-certifying agency in Australia.

Our Halal Certificates are accepted by all Muslim countries and Halal importing regions as a reputable Halal-certifying agency in Australia;

1. Sultanate of Oman

2. Yemen Arab Republic

3. Syrian Arab Republic

4. Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

5. Lebanese Republic

6. Arab Republic of Egypt

7. State of Kuwait

8. Kingdom of Morocco

9. Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

10. Islamic Organization in Republic of Mauritius

11. Japan

12. Republic of Korea

13. People's Republic of China (PRC)

14. Republic of China (ROC)

15. All European Countries

16. Republic of South Africa

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INTRODUCTION TO HALAL

Halal is a Quranic word meaning lawful or permitted. In reference to food, it is the dietary standard, as prescribed in the Quran the Muslim scripture. General Quranic guidance dictates that all foods are Halal except those that are specifically mentioned as Haram (unlawful or Prohibited).

Islam is the natural way of life. Its economical system is just; its social system is based on cooperation and brotherhood; its political system is based on consultation and its dietary laws are very simple and beneficial for the entire humanity.

The life of a Muslim revolves around the concept of Halal. A Muslim must earn income from Halal sources, be involved only in Halal transactions and consume Halal food and drink.

Staying away from Haram for the Muslim, particularly in non-Islamic society is a life-long struggle. But, if a Muslim tries sincerely, Allah Ta'ala makes this effort easy. It is obvious that Muslims should seek an education and training for themselves and for their children. Education of Muslim children cannot be complete if it fails to inculcate in them a strong faith in the superiority of Halal practices.

All foods are made lawful according to Muslim Scripture, The Glorious Qur-an;

O ye who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you and render thanks to Allah, if it is He whom we worship (Qur-an Chapter II Verse 172).

The unlawful foods are specifically mentioned in the Glorius Qur-an, in the following verses;

He hath forbidden you only carrion and blood and swine flesh and that which hath been immolated to any other than Allah.. (Quran Chapter II , Verse 173)

Forbidden unto you (for food) are: carrion, and blood, and swine flesh, and that which hath been dedicated unto any other than Allah, and the strangled, and the dead through beating, and the dead through falling from a height, and that hath been killed by the gorging of horns, and the devoured of wild beasts saving that which ye make lawful and that which hath been immolated to idols, and that ye swear by the divining arrows.

"Forbidden to you is anything that dies by itself, and blood and pork, as well as whatever has been consecrated to something besides Allah, and whatever has been strangled, beaten to death, trapped in a pit, gored, and what some beast of prey has begun to eat, unless you give it the final blow; and what has been slaughtered before some idol, or what you divide up in a raffle; (all) that is immoral!" (5:3)

This is an abomination… (Chapter V, Verse 3)

Consumption of alcohol and other methods of intoxication are prohibited to following guidance in Qur-an;

O ye who believe! Strong drinks and games of chance, and idols and divining arrows are only an infamy of Satan’s handiwork, leave it aside in order that ye may succeed (Chapter V, Verse 90).

Meat is the only regulated of the food groups, Not only are blood, pork, and the meat of dead animals or those immolated to other than Allah strongly prohibited, it is also required that the halal animals be slaughtered while pronouncing the name of Allah at the time of slaughter.

Eat of that over which the name of Allah hath been mentioned, if ye are believers in his revelations (Chapter VI Verse 119).

And eat not of that whereon Allah’s name hath not been mentioned, for lo! it is abomination. Lo! The devils do inspire their minions to dispute with you. But if ye obey them, ye will be in truth idolators (Chapter VI Verse 122).

Islam is not a mere religion. It is a way of life with rules and manners governing every facet of life. Since food is an important part of daily life, food laws carry a special significance.

Muslims are expected to eat for survival, to maintain good health and not to live for eating. In Islam, eating is considered to be a matter of worship of God like prayer, fasting, alms-giving and other religious activities.

Muslim eats to maintain a strong and healthy physique in order to be able to contribute his knowledge and effort for the welfare of the society. Muslims are supposed to make an effort to obtain the best quality nutritionally.

It is mentioned in a Hadith that the Du’aa (prayer) of a person is rejected by Allah if his food is haraam. Another Hadith states that Jahannam (hell-fire) is more deserving of the flesh which has been nourished with haraam.

The basic principle is that all things created by God are permitted, with a few exceptions that are specifically prohibited.

To make lawful and unlawful is the right of God alone. No human being, no matter how pious or powerful, may take this into his hands. Falsely representing unlawful as lawful is prohibited. It is unlawful to legalise God’s prohibitions by excuses.

Prohibiting what is permitted by God and permitting what is prohibited by God is similar to ascribing partners with God.

The reasons for the prohibition is due to impurity and harmfulness. Good intentions do not make the unlawful acceptable.

That is permitted is sufficient and what is prohibited is then harmful, God prohibited only things that are harmful while providing better alternatives.

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ANIMAL WELFARE

The Holy Prophet (Peace Be uopn Him) used to say: "Whoever is kind to the creatures of God is kind to himself" (Wisdom of Prophet Mohammad; Muhammad Amin; The Lion Press, Lahore, Pakistan; 1945).

According to the learned commentators of the Qur'an, animals all live a life, individual and social, like members of a human commune. In other words, they are like communities in their own right and not in relation to human species or its values.

These details have been mentioned to emphasize the point that even those species which are generally considered as insignificant or even dangerous deserve to be treated as communities; that their intrinsic and not perceptible values should be recognized, irrespective of their usefulness or their apparent harmfulness.

Cruelty to animals is an absolute not allowed. You must not show a knife to an animal you are about to slaughter because it is considered as killing it twice. Strict laws and is punishment for cruelty to animals and is not tolerated.

Dominion Over Animals

Qur'an states that man has dominion over animals: "He (God) it is Who made you vicegerents on earth" (Qur'an 35:39), but makes clear that this responsibility is not unconditional and states what happens to those who misuse their freedom of choice and fail to conform to the conditions that limit this responsibility: "Then We reduce him (to the status of) the lowest of the low" (Qur'an 95:4,5). "…they are those whom Allah has rejected and whom He has condemned...because they served evil" (Qur'an 5:63). "…they have hearts wherewith they fail to comprehend, and eyes wherewith they fail to see, and ears wherewith they fail to hear….Such (humans) are far astray from the right path" (Qur'an 7:179).

Animals Have Consciousness

Many passages from the Qur'an and Hadith state that all animals are endowed with spirit and mind and "…there is ample evidence in the Qur'an to suggest that animals' consciousness of spirit and mind is of a degree higher than mere instinct and intuition. We are told in the Qur'an that animals have a cognizance of their Creator and, hence, they pay their obeisance to Him by adoration and worship:

It was revealed to Prophet Saleh to single out a she-camel as a symbol and ask his people to give her fair share of water and fodder. The people of Thamud promised to do that but, later, killed the camel. As a retribution, the tribe was annihilated. This incident has been mentioned in the Qur'an many times in different contexts (Qur'an 7:73, 11:64, 26:155, 156; 54:27-31).

It is very important for all the Ummah that we treat all the animals (be it Halal or Haraam) with kindness.

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HALAL CONCEPT

Within the Islamic religion, a strong emphasis is placed on cleanliness - both spiritually and in the context of food and drink. For a food or drink product to be approved for consumption it must conform to the Islamic dietary laws as specified in the Qur'an, the Hadith (sayings) of the Prophet Muhammad, his Sunnah (tradition) and in the Fiqh (understanding) of the Islamic Jurists: Hanafi, Shafi', Maliki and Hambali. The Qur'an has numerous injunctions instructing Muslims to choose and consume good and wholesome foodstuffs.

In the selection of food and drink, Islam has laid down three very important guidelines, namely;

There are several factors that determine the Halal/Haram status of a particular foodstuff. Amongst others, it is dependent on its nature, how it was processed and where it originated from.

As an example, any pig product is considered Haram because the material itself is Haram. Whereas beef from an animal that has not been slaughtered according to Islamic rites would still be considered Haram.

Also Haram is food that has been stolen or acquired through unethical means. Islam also prohibits the usage of any materials that are detrimental to the spiritual or mental well-being of a person, such as alcoholic drinks and drugs.

The concept of Halal in Islam has very specific motives;

Islam encourages its followers to choose Halal foods. This awareness is always propagated in Muslim societies and is strengthened by the widespread knowledge extolling the virtues of consuming clean and Halal foods.

Due to advancements in food technology and distribution, Muslims are more exposed to various ingredients and manufactured foods imported into Muslim countries.

The most common of these are food additives, gelatine, emulsifiers and rennet in cheese manufacture. The Muslim community would like to know whether or not the addition, the ingredients or the finished foods contain any Haram substance.

These products can become Halal if the raw materials are Halal and the process is compatible with the Islamic way.

To determine the Halal-Haram status of foodstuffs and other material, Islam has laid general guidelines on this matter, namely:

1. All raw materials and ingredients used must be Halal.

2. Naturally Halal animals such as cattle, goats etc., must be slaughtered according to Islamic rites, the rituals specify that the act must be performed by a mentally sound Muslim, to sever the blood and respiratory channels of the animal, using a sharp cutting tool such as knife.

3. The Halal ingredients must not be mixed, or come into contact with haram materials such as products from pig or dog during storage, transport, cooking, serving etc.

It must be understood that the production of Halal food is not only beneficial to Muslims, but also to food producers, by means of increased market acceptance of their products.

Manufacturers and exporters of Halal products can receive Halal certification for their products from AFIC.

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HALAL

In general every food is considered lawful in Islam unless it is specially prohibited by the Qu’ran or the Hadith. By official definition, Halal foods are those that are:

Animal Kingdom:

This includes land animals and marine animals. All freshwater and saltwater animals (those which live in water all the time) are permitted unless they are harmful to health.

There is no requirement to slaughter the marine animals.

The Plant Kingdom:

All products derived from plants are lawful for Muslim consumption except when fermented to contain alcohol, or when containing intoxicants or ingredients otherwise harmful to humans.

The Mineral Kingdon:

Generally safe substances derived from mineral or petroleum sources are Halal except those which might become intoxicating or those which pose a health hazard.

Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering in Halal Foods:

Biotechnology and bioengineering have started to reshape the food production, questions are being asked about the permissibility of foods produced using this technique.

Islam is a viable religion for all times and such issues are being reviewed on a case to case basis by the Muslim scholars. Biotechnology covers a wide range of biological science activities and may lead to a large number of different applications for the food industry and our food supply.

Bacterial Fermentation and their products:

Many useful products can be made by having bacteria produce them in fermentation tanks. Muslim religion is concerned with the actual components of these fermentation vats.

Fermentation process has been used to produce cheese, bread, fermented milk, vinegar and many other products for the millennia. Muslims consider the fermentation process to be useful for food production.

It is the use of product thus produced that is permitted or prohibited according to the scriptures.

If purified food chemicals through biotechnological techniques have traditional equivalents that are halal, they are also halal.

Consequently, products such a monosodium glutamate, citric acid and lactic acid are produced through biotechnology are halal provided they are free from prohibited contaminants.

Gene Products (Transgenically Produced Enzymes and Cultures):

Enzymes are widely used as biological catalysis in the food industry.

Some enzyme cultures are used internally in food products like bread and cheese, while other are used in intermediary media to carry out reactions to produce certain food products.

There are two distinct benefits of biotechnology reaped by the food industry;

Firstly by the biotechnology products have improved yields and decreased batch to batch variations in enzyme characteristics compared with those from traditional sources. Consequently, the cost of production for these food ingredients has decreased.

Secondly in some cases where traditional sources of such enzyme culture were unacceptable to Muslim consumers transgenically produced enzymes are permitted for use in the production of Halal foods.

For example bovine rennet produced from calves that have not been slaughtered according to Muslim requirements is not accepted by Muslim. Where as chymosin (the main enzyme found in rennet) produced microbally through transcription from the bovine chymisin gene is universally accepted by Muslims.

Free from contamination while prepared or processed with anything considered Najis (filthy).

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HARAM

2. Plant and their products.

(a) Poisonous Plant.

(b) Intoxicating Plant

3. Liquids and their products.

(a) Poisonous drinks

(b) Intoxicating drinks

4. Other matters and their products.

(a) Faeces and urine

(b) Placental tissue

(c) Blood

MODERN PRODUCTS

In the modern processing of food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products we cannot escape from the issue of food ingredients which originates from animals, especially additives and many of these are imported.

The ingredients are made from various sources, including Haram sources as well. The products from animal sources which may pose problems are given below:

1. Fresh Meat

There are many types of animals available and these may or may not be slaughtered according to the Islamic law. Some of these animals include chicken, duck, turkey, quail, cattle, goat, sheep, rabbit, venison.

2. Meat Products

Another important group of meat products are those using a mixture of pork and non pork raw material.

These include luncheon meat, salamis, various types of sausages etc. In these products pork fat is used instead of beef fat.

Of course these products are also available in a form which no pork or lard is added as in kosher salami and beef frankfurter's.

There are also available chicken and turkey roll. If these products contain pork or pork products and are not made from Halal slaughtered animals Muslims will not purchase them.

3. Offal Products

Example of these include liver, lungs, heart, intestines, tripe, brains and blood. Besides direct consumption, some of these can also be processed into value-added products.

Intestines in their wet or dry form can be used as casings for various types of sausages. All these must be from animals slaughtered in a Halal manner otherwise the whole product will not be acceptable.

Blood on the other hand is never acceptable under any circumstance.

4. Bone and Hide Products

Gelatine which is used in many food preparations is another important animal product. The main sources are skin and bones.

The production from skin basically involves an extraction process of several stages with increasing temperatures, filtration and concentration in a vacuum evaporator.

On the other hand production from bones would involve the removal of fat, demineralisation and extraction with dilute alkali.

Besides being a source of gelatine, bones when converted into bone meal and purified, is used as a natural source of calcium and phosphorus which can be used in paediatric food.

The hides of the cattle can be processed into edible crackers, while chicken skin can be emulsified to be used as ingredients in the production of emulsion type sausages.

Again if the bones and hides are not from the slaughtered animals these products can not be accepted. Pork and all pig products are prohibited.

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